


Jinx

by westernredcedar



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Communication, Discussion of anxiety about coming out, Domestic, M/M, Missing Scene, Response to 3.25 and 3.26, Takes place between Conference Finals and the Cup Finals
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-28
Updated: 2017-12-28
Packaged: 2019-02-23 00:58:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,126
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13178973
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/westernredcedar/pseuds/westernredcedar
Summary: “So, do you ever imagine it? Winning the Finals?”





	Jinx

**Author's Note:**

> I am obsessed thinking about what Jack and Bits had talked about before in regards to their decision in 3.25. So here's my first slapdash attempt at what I've been imagining.

The chaos of winning the Conference had settled just enough for Jack to finally be at home for an entire evening with only Bitty for company. No phone calls or team meetings or PR shoots, at least for one night. Just... home.

He’d been revving on high, hardly sleeping, sticking to his routine so intently that he’d hardly been aware of anything else- day of the week, weather outside - for days. Sinking onto the sofa with Bitty curled up between his legs, snuggled under a blanket after a home cooked meal, was like breaking the surface of the ocean after a deep sea dive and taking a huge gulp of air.

Bitty wrapped his arms around Jack and nuzzled in against his chest, and Jack felt some of the pressure in his chest loosen and scatter back into the universe. The Finals were there, looming on the horizon, but tonight Jack let them be far away.

“Sweetpea?” Bitty asked, after a long, calm quiet.

“Mm?” 

“I wanna talk about something. But I don't know if you’ll... want to?”

Jack could hear the hesitancy in Bitty’s voice. He sat up a little and Bitty adjusted with him so that they could remain cuddled together but see each other’s faces.

“What is it, Bits? We can talk about anything.” Jack ran a hand through Bitty’s hair, and hoped that was true.

“It’s... just… ” Bitty frowned and took a deep breath. “Is there like… a pause button or a time-out from jinxing you? Because I sure need to talk about something you won’t want me to say out loud, honey.”

Jack felt a little shiver of worry. “Like a... jinx hiatus?”

“Yes, please? Just a short one?” Bitty’s eyes were wide in the soft light of the living room.

Jack considered this for a moment. He needed his sturdy fortress of superstitions and habits, including studiously preventing any talk that might jinx the team, to keep himself from spinning out into an anxious whirlwind. But Bitty knew that, too. He wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important.

Jack held up his hand, pinky extended. Bitty stared for a minute, and then extracted his own hand from the blankets and locked his pinky with Jack’s. 

“So, we’re okay to talk about... things that might happen? For a minute?” Bitty asked. 

Jack swallowed hard and looked at their joined hands. “Yeah. Okay.”

Bitty nodded and then leaned down against Jack’s chest again. He was quiet for a minute, then said, “So, do you ever imagine it? Winning the Finals?”

Jack inhaled sharply and focused on the feel of Bitty’s pinky curled around his. “Yeah, I do. Pretty much every day. It’s usually…” Jack winced at how this might sound, “...usually one of the first things I think about every morning.”

“Oh,” Bitty said, and his voice vibrated against Jack’s chest. “But now it might really happen.” 

“Euh, sure.” Jack tried to casually shrug, but his nerves were jangled by Bitty so freely talking about the Falcs actually _winning_. 

Hiatus. Jinx-free-zone. Breathe.

Bitty got real quiet again, and burrowed harder into Jack’s chest. “Sweetheart, do you... you might not remember, because we were just goofin’ a while back, dreaming… but we once talked about it, about you winning the Cup, and what we would maybe do then?”

Jack smiled, and let his free arm wrap tighter around Bitty’s waist. “Of course I remember what we talked about, Bits. What do you think I imagine every day?”

Jack could feel Bitty’s entire body still. He pulled himself up again to look Jack in the eye. “I'd'a thought you’d imagine the celly or holding the Cup or…”

Jack shook his head, and Bitty’s voice faded to a halt. 

“I think about it every day, Bits.”

Unexpectedly, Bittle’s eyes filled with tears. “But you really might win, sweetheart.” 

Jack leaned in and kissed Bitty’s cheek. “I know.”

Bitty closed his eyes, his expression pinched, and Jack’s heart was in his throat. 

“But, when we talked all that pipe dream business, it all seemed years away. And I... Jack...” Bitty took another deep breath and then opened his eyes, so big and brown. "I’m not ready, honey. I haven’t told Mama, or Coach. And I... can’t…"

Suddenly, Jack understood. “Oh gosh, Bits.” He pulled Bitty into a hug, rubbing at his back to comfort him as a few muffled sobs escaped. “Oh, bud, I didn’t expect that we’d actually…” 

Jack paused for a minute, because that was true. He’d imagined it, every morning, especially through the playoffs, but actually _doing_ it? He hadn’t allowed himself to think that far ahead until now.

Jack pressed his cheek against Bitty’s hair. “I don’t have any expectations about that, Bits. Not at all. And I would never. Not unless you were ready, too.”

Bitty sniffled against Jack’s chest. “Really? Because I wish we could. I want to. But.”

“I get it, Bits. I’m so sorry you’ve been worrying about this. I’m ready to come out with you, bud, but only when you want to.”

Bitty wriggled himself up enough to press a soft kiss against Jack’s lips and whisper, “This boy…” almost too quietly for Jack to hear. 

“Besides,” Jack added, as Bitty pulled away and snuggled back in against his shoulder, “that just means I’ll have to win another one, later. Good motivation.”

Bitty reached out with his free hand and smacked Jack gently on the chest. 

Jack let his voice lower, hoping Bitty could hear how much he meant all of this. “But Bits, if we do... win? After? You’ll know what I’m imagining, even if we can’t really do it.”

“Oh lord,” Bitty replied, “I'll be imagining it too, sweetheart.”

Bitty craned up and met Jack in a heated kiss, exactly the kind that Jack had hoped... but he was letting that dream go for now. Instead, he focused on the feel of Bitty’s lips, demanding against his own, and the sweet press of his body against him. 

Far too soon, Bitty pulled away, grinning and shaking his head. “Okay, you. Our jinx hiatus can be over. I solemnly swear that when we release our pinkies, I will not imply in any way that you might ever win the Stanley Cup, or any hockey game, ever in your life.”

Jack rolled his eyes at the chirp and then nodded. “So noted, bud.”

They let their fingers release. 

“Thank you so much for talking that through with me, Sweetpea,” Bitty said, settling back in and tangling himself around Jack like an octopus. “And I will tell them when I can. I really want to.”

"I know," Jack said, wrapping his arms all the way around Bitty and holding tight. "You’ll find a way, Bits. I know you will.”


End file.
